Australia has introduced legislation to Parliament that would require major technology platforms to strike payment agreements with at least eight local news companies, up from six in an earlier draft, as Canberra reshapes its media licensing framework to spread more advertising-linked funding across domestic journalism. The revised scheme restores a cap limiting any single deal to 25% of a platform's levy liability and directs 5% of funds raised to Australian Associated Press, the non-profit newswire. Under the plan, the levy equals 2.5% of a company's Australian advertising revenue, with the amount payable offset by the value of agreements reached with publishers. The overhaul follows negotiations with the opposition, broadens coverage beyond Google and Meta to include TikTok and Microsoft's LinkedIn, and extends Australia's effort to make large platforms pay for news after Meta said it would stop paying for news content in Australia and other markets.